The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.

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Publisher's Summary

The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.

Vastly more progressive than his European or Asian counterparts, Genghis Khan abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom, and smashed feudal systems of aristocratic privilege. From the story of his rise through the tribal culture to the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed, this brilliant work of revisionist history is nothing less than the epic story of how the modern world was made.

What the Critics Say

"With appreciative descriptions of the sometimes tender tyrant, this chronicle supplies just enough personal and world history to satisfy any reader." (Publishers Weekly)

"There is very little time for reading in my new job. But of the few books I've read, my favourite is Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. It's a fascinating book portraying Genghis Khan in a totally new light. It shows that he was a great secular leader, among other things." (Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India)

"Weatherford's admiration for Genghis and his firsthand knowledge of many of the sites important in Mongol history give this text an immediacy and a visual quality that are enhanced by Davis’s presentation. When the narrative begins to lag in its final hour or two as it moves farther from the twelfth century, Davis's crisp pace maintains the listener’s interest to the end. An informative and provocative work of popular history." (AudioFile)

I thought it was well written, crisp, and broad. That is not always desirable in a history book, but I wasn't terribly familiar with Mongolian history, and most of what I knew about the Khans was a brief review in high school. So this served as a nice primer and general overview, and noted the many various ways Genghis Khan and his successors impacted our modern life was fascinating. For someone deeply familiar with Mongol or Chinese history, this may not be quite deep enough, but for anyone unfamiliar or just beginning it is worth the read!

I previously started this and gave up, but then had renewed interest after watching the Netflix Marco Polo series. It a dryly told history, not a historical fiction, it tries to keep to facts and facts from that time are sparse. It's more like a thesis but was still worth listening to as the history is interesting.

Don't settle for Netflix Marco Polo. This book really shows how the genghis khan built the modern world. An example. If the Mongols didn't occupy Baghdad , the safadi dynasty would not have emerged in Persia and Shia Iran may have not materialized or the birth of a unified China or the effects of the plague importation to Europe which ended the feudal system and paved way to nation states and then industrialization

I stumbled onto this one by chance, and quickly grew to love it -- who'd ever know that much about the Mongols and how they changed the world? Years of research have gone into this book, and it shows. The 'Secret History', an original Mongol document about Gengis Khan's life, only became available for researchers quite recently, so there is now a wealth of brand new information. Many surprises, many really astonishing facts are waiting for the listener! The prose is at the right pace, not patronizing, not too scientific. One can also feel how much the author simply loves Mongolia... Good reader too. I simply couldn't get enough and was thirsting for more when it was over. I am now going to read his other books...

14 of 14 people found this review helpful

Philip Heydebreck

1/25/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Liked it so much I didn't want it to end"

Would you listen to Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World again? Why?

I actually already did start to listen to it again. This book is so packed full of interesting stories and information, I found it hard to retain them all from one listen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World?

I never thought a history book would keep me so entertained and interested. This one certainely did, the story of Gengis Kahn and his sucessors is told so well it almost reads like a novel. I loved the way this book changed my understanding of world history, illustrating the impact of the mongol empire on the world.

What about Jack Weatherford and Jonathan Davis ’s performance did you like?

Despite being packed with historical information, place names, dates and significant people, this book does not read like a history book at all. The story flows incredibly well and keeps you coming back for more. The reader has a voice that is very nice to listen to, becomes noticable when the reader changes for the afteroword.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I wouldn't say "moved" but I did get excited about this book and recommended it to friends and family.

Any additional comments?

The ultimate measure of a non-fiction book must be if it changes the way you think and see the world. This one absolutely changed my understanding of history.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

7/7/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"A new outlook towards the traditional history"

If you could sum up Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World in three words, what would they be?

A very important part of the history spanning for 4-5 decades and influencing every aspect of modern civilisation. Very little credit has been given to this and very few books available in english.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Genghis Khan and Kubel Khan and their regime.

What about Jack Weatherford and Jonathan Davis ’s performance did you like?

Must read for everyone as. The book changes the outlook towards history and makes you think before accepting anybody view of the history in the future.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

David

KILMACOLM, United Kingdom

7/29/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Steadfastly boring"

Very repetitive and factually inventive.Overall impression being a futile attempt to make a factual history out of myth . Poor

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Y. Syed

Somewhere in Internet Land

6/8/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"An excellent and honest account"

Learned a great deal from this. So much about this period was completely unknown to me; it is great to fill in a few of the gaps.My views on both Genghis Khan and the Mongols has changed, greatly.Looking forward to reading more around this subject.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mukesh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

6/5/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great book"

I really did not know much about Genghis Khan and this book was brilliant in teaching me something. The narrator was so impressive. It is one of the best books that I have listened to.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Bookworm007

5/2/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Enlightening"

What did you like most about Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World?

An eye opening history. Contrary to the popular mythology Genghis Khan succeeded through marshalling trade, multiculturalism and meritocracy. His attitudes to social justice, law and religious freedom put his contemporary Christian 'civilisations' to shame.

Who was your favorite character and why?

.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mr

4/27/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Good but only half of it useful"

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I bought this book wanting to learn about Genghis Khan. Unfortunately only the first half of the book discusses him and the second part is about Kubel Khan and other leaders. I was disappointed the first half was not longer as this is what I wanted to read about. I feel this is not made clear in the book description.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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